FINRA

Investor advocates and others worry that recent changes to who can serve on FINRA panels will exclude arbitrators most likely to be sympathetic to ordinary investors.

Experts say that there are pitfalls, rules and procedures that departing financial advisors should know. Problem is, too many act first and consult lawyers later.

The decision comes as a victory for FINRA in a series of legal assaults meant to undercut the authority of self-regulatory organizations.

The broker-dealer alleged that a FINRA arbitration panelist who helped hand down the landmark penalty should have recused herself after reaching a similar conclusion in a case involving the same embattled broker.

Industry groups argue a new rule under consideration would give brokerage firms new oversight responsibilities over unaffiliated RIAs — a contention FINRA denies.

Rulings from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority included a $360,000-plus payout from JPMorgan, scrutiny of B. Riley operations and more in April.

Regulators say they are seeking fairness, noting that firms that reached deals with the SEC before the start of the year are under fewer regulatory mandates.

The firm characterizes the cause examination, a procedure that typically originates from a customer complaint, as a routine matter.

A judge found that the alleged victims of a scam run by a now-disgraced representative of Oppenheimer furnished no evidence of having direct ties to the firm.

Evan Becht told a FINRA arbitrator that he has not been able to find another job since JPMorgan's reasons for terminating him became listed on his BrokerCheck page.